10 Early Ant-Man Villains to Complete the Trilogy

Ant-Man is the little Marvel Studios franchise that could, both literally and figuratively. The character has opened up new boundaries for oddball villains, a smaller scale of stories, and comedic twists. There is almost no doubt at this point that there will be an Ant-Man trilogy to stack alongside those of Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor. With an incredibly charming cast and a set of powers with plenty of opportunities, there is no concern about what more can be done on the heroic half of the equation for a third Ant-Man film. However, there is a question about where they will find more villains.

Ant-Man and The Wasp have never had an impressive rogues gallery at Marvel Comics. Their greatest battles have often been fought as part of The Avengers. Even in Ant-Man and The Wasp, Marvel Studios is digging into Iron Man’s villains to create a film version of The Ghost. So who could this duo fight in a third film?

The earliest adventures of Ant-Man in Tales to Astonish during the earliest days of Marvel Comics offers some great ideas. These quick stories often featuring Soviet spies and alien menaces threw out new ideas at an almost impossible rate. Examining the first couple years of Ant-Man’s career reveals some concepts that still have life in them and that could make for a great finale to the Ant-Man trilogy.

Egghead

Created by Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, and Larry Lieber

First Appearance: Tales to Astonish (vol. 1) #38

Egghead is the closest thing Ant-Man has to an A-list villain all for himself (not counting Ultron). This super scientist was a regular thorn in the side of both Hank Pym and The Avengers during the Silver Age, constructing weapons of mass destruction and assembling evil conglomerates of minor supervillains. While he appears to have died in a cameo role during Ant-Man and The Wasp, there’s no reason he couldn’t have survived. Having abandoned his daughter, this maniacal cueball could play the reverse role to Hank Pym in a third installment, an unethical scientist who uses his inventions to power up criminals instead of heroes.

Scarlet Beetle

Created by Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, and Larry Lieber

First Appearance: Tales to Astonish (vol. 1) #38

Ant-Man and The Wasp played up the intelligence of oversized ants, so it seems like a logical next step to make an insect supervillain. The Scarlet Beetle began life as an ordinary beetle before mutation boosted both his size and mind. It would certainly be a goofy twist, but one that is entirely in line with the tone and style of the Ant-Man movies thus far.

The Hijacker

Created by Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, and Larry Lieber

First Appearance: Tales to Astonish (vol. 1) #40

The original Hijacker used a few gadgets to… hijack things. There’s a lot to be expanded upon within that idea though, especially in our modern era with computer controlled drones and cars. A villain who can seize any plane out of the sky or take over New York City’s entire transit system would be truly terrifying. It could be time to give The Hijacker a 21st Century update and transform him into a top-notch villain.

The Voice

Created by Don Heck, Stan Lee, and Larry Lieber

First Appearance: Tales to Astonish (vol. 1) #42

The Voice plays a similar role to The Hijacker, a one-gimmick villain whose gimmick holds a lot of potential. Anyone who hears this bad guy’s voice modulated through his speaker system is forced to obey. If he were to take control of a cell phone network, the chaos he could wreak would be unimaginable. This also ties into Ant-Man’s unique communicative abilities with the insect kingdom opening lots of doors for a creative screenplay.

The Porcupine

Created by Don Heck, Stan Lee, and Ernest Hart

First Appearance: Tales to Astonish (vol. 1) #48

The Porcupine recently made a heroic turn in the pages of Spider-Woman, giving him a very similar path to the Ant-Man of the movies, Scott Lang. Scott could move on from being the student in order to mentor another thief with superpowers in his final film. The Porcupine is a funny guy with a heart of gold, and making him a supporting character would allow for some great character growth in the final Ant-Man film.

The Living Eraser

Created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee

First Appearance: Tales to Astonish (vol. 1) #49

The Living Eraser is an alien despot with one incredible visual power. Watching a character be wiped out of existence one stroke at a time looks great on a comics page and could make for some stunning sequences on film. Whether it’s matter-eating nanites or a teleportation device, including The Living Eraser, as an alien or human, would build some great moments of suspense and action.

The Human Top

Created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee

First Appearance: Tales to Astonish (vol. 1) #50

The Human Top’s gimmick is similarly attractive, providing superspeed and a chaotic funnel of action for movie audiences to follow. Size would not prove to much help against the incredible velocity and sharp edges on this villain, forcing Ant-Man and The Wasp to get very creative in order to win any battle with the bad guy.

The Black Knight

Created by Don Heck and Stan Lee

First Appearance: Tales to Astonish (vol. 1) #52

The original Black Knight had an array of powers similar in scope, if not style, to Ant-Man’s own. He was capable of flying, possessed almost impenetrable armor, and could melt steel with his lance. That wide array of abilities would make for some very interesting action sequences while stacking Ant-Man up against a similarly talented inventor and engineer.

El Toro

Created by Don Heck and Stan Lee

First Appearance: Tales to Astonish (vol. 1) #52

El Toro is a despotic ruler who uses brawn to overcome a lack of brains. Literally running his head into obstacles makes for a funny and powerful metaphor for strongman dictators around the globe. While the name and appearance of El Toro have aged poorly, the core concept of Ant-Man battling for justice abroad against a powerful fool would certainly make for a great adventure.

Nikita Khrushchev

Created by Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, and Larry Lieber

First Appearance: Tales to Astonish (vol. 1) #35

This Soviet Premier made a cameo appearance in Ant-Man’s very first costumed adventure. While Khrushchev and the USSR are both gone, he could make for a fun cameo appearance during time-travel shenanigans in a third movie. It’s even possible that Steve Buscemi could resume his role from The Death of Stalin to give eagle-eyed moviegoers a real treat of an Easter egg.